MARIE-CURIE / EMIL

Project: MARIE-CURIE / EMIL
Architect: Pierre Blondel Architectes

Momentary association

NCBHAM

Programme

Rehabilitation of a former office building into 186 emergency housing units

The Marie-Curie project is part of a search for accommodation for Ukrainian refugees in the Brussels region. Several options are being explored by our studio: conversion of empty former office buildings, former hotels and greenfield sites for temporary accommodation. The reference presented here is a wonderful example of how this research has come to fruition.

Marie-Curie involves transforming a former office building from the 1990s into a temporary accommodation center for 186 Ukrainian refugees, in a context of humanitarian emergency, tight deadlines and a severely limited budget.

The former office building, located on the outskirts of Anderlecht, was reinvested with maximum economy of means, where optimization of the existing and reuse guided the architectural interventions. Spatial redistribution is based on a mix of accommodation typologies, offering rooms from 1 to 6 beds, adapted to the diversity of the public welcomed (single people, families, women with children, the elderly).

The interior layout favors the appropriation of the spaces by the refugees and staff of the asbl Communa, striking the right balance between intimacy and community. Each floor groups a series of rooms around generous, modular communal spaces: shared kitchens, common dining rooms, recreation areas. These numerous small communal spaces enable small groups of residents to get together and bond. On the first floor, large indoor and outdoor community spaces (refectory, party room, sports hall, administrative offices, communal vegetable gardens, etc.) structure the life of the center, affirming the project as a place of transition and social reconstruction.

These issues of living together have taken root at Marie-Curie, and have also served to support initiatives by the residents: setting up discussion workshops, artistic interventions and a beauty center within the project.

About: As part of a wider reflection on the reconversion of commercial property, Marie-Curie offers a concrete response to the contemporary challenges of crises and emergency housing. As part of the Brussels helps Refugees program, we are transforming an office building into a temporary accommodation center for 186 refugees, in an approach based on the circular economy and the thoughtful management of existing resources.
In addition to its housing program, Marie-Curie questions the future of vacant offices and explores sustainable solutions for adapting existing buildings to the changing needs of the city. The project explores new strategies for the requalification of existing assets, where the urgent need for accommodation does not sacrifice dignity or quality of use.
The project develops a sober, efficient architectural response to the challenges of emergency housing, where the optimization of space and flexibility of layout guarantee dignified living conditions. Far from a simple functional conversion, it proposes a reinterpretation of collective housing through shared spaces, meeting places and a spatial organization that encourages harmonious cohabitation.
Issues of comfort and safety were integrated into the design from the outset: the open facades ensure abundant natural light, and the corridors are designed to avoid nooks and crannies, thus facilitating orientation and surveillance. The premises are now occupied by abl Communa, which has renamed the project “Emil”.